Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Although John Lennon was suffering from a heavy cold which meant he missed this and the previous night’s shows, he travelled down to Abbey Road in the morning to overdub a harmonica onto ‘Thank You Girl’, the b-side to their forthcoming single ‘From Me To You’.
The session took place between 10am and 1pm. Lennon took 15 attempts to complete his harmonica part; these were numbered takes 14-28. Afterwards George Martin oversaw a complicated edit of takes 6, 13, 17, 20, 21 and 23, and mono and stereo mixes were then made.
Although just Lennon took part in the recording, the rest of The Beatles travelled from Bedford, from where they had performed the night before, to London.
Also on this day...
- 2009: Former Capitol Records boss Alan Livingston dies at 91
- 1999: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
- 1993: Paul McCartney live: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
- 1990: Paul McCartney live: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
- 1981: US single release: Watching The Wheels by John Lennon
- 1970: Mixing: Sentimental Journey by Ringo Starr
- 1969: Mixing: I’ve Got A Feeling, Dig It, Maggie Mae, Shake Rattle And Roll, Kansas City, Miss Ann, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Blue Suede Shoes, You Really Got A Hold On Me
- 1967: Recording: Good Morning Good Morning
- 1965: Travel: London to Austria
- 1964: Mixing: Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand, Sie Liebt Dich
- 1964: Filming: A Hard Day’s Night
- 1963: The Beatles live: Rialto Theatre, York
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Liverpool Jazz Society, Liverpool
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1958: The Quarrymen live: Morgue Skiffle Cellar, Liverpool
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
This must’ve been the first time where John played a diatonic harmonica, not the chromatic type that he had used up until this point, and given that he hadn’t brought one with him to the session, he had to borrow one from Mal Davies, who happened to be a harmonica player himself.
I know that John subsequently switched to Hohner Marine Band harmonicas, perhaps from Bob Dylan’s influence, but I’m not sure when he made the change.